This tour is being billed as the Acoustic Shows Tour so tonight Nouvelle Vague are a stripped down four piece consisting of acoustic guitar, keyboards, a fine collection of hand-held percussion instruments plus a melodica. It’s fair to say that the boys haven’t gone overboard as regards stage costume; functional workaday jeans and trainers seem to do the job. Whereas Melaine, in a black velvet backless dress and Élodie in a long split skirt with lace top, look chic, classy and like they’re ready to tango in a 1920s Parisian nightclub.

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas - as they say. Well there is no better way to spend it than with a local legend who’s given us one of those true Christmas songs we’ve sung along to for all these years. In the Symphony Hall, Birmingham, with a plethora of special guests, and a pretty much sold out crowd in full Christmas spirit akin in Santa hats and festive garb – let us welcome the Roy Wood Rock & Roll Band.

Tonight's performer has always been outspoken. A revolutionary spokesman for a generation, highlighting social injustice and rallying for the cause. And he's been doing this for thirty odd years. To a pretty much sold out Birmingham Town Hall, and galvanised by recent 'events' welcome to Mr Billy Bragg.

Tonight at the Symphony Hall we find a vocalist right at the top of her game, making exactly the adventurous electronic pop music she wants to at this moment in time, with her voice and songwriting intense, poetic and thought provoking. She may have been one of the biggest vocalists of 1980's electronica but with time, this vocalist, has just got better and better. Welcome to Birmingham, the truly stunning performer that is Alison Moyet.

So in the last twelve months this 80s act has had an incredible 12 months. An 'update' to their phenomenally huge original 80s album and critically acclaimed too - 'The Lexicon of Love II' and sell out shows across the country; ABC are here at the Symphony Hall to perform their greatest hits, and are joined tonight by the funky party band - Kid Creole and The Coconuts.

Few bands have changed as much as these guys as they take their musical journey, with that core folk rock mix, over the past thirty odd years. Their self titled album gave us 'A Girl Called Johnny' before 1985’s sky-scraping 'This is the Sea.' their music has continually evolved, from the influential mix of Celtic, gospel, country and rock on the classic 'Fisherman’s Blues', to the fired-up poetic passion of 2011's 'An Appointment with Mr Yeats', 2015's the rootsy, funky 'Modern Blues' and now to 'Out of All This Blue'. Welcome tonight to the Symphony Hall, Mike Scott and his Waterboys.

Tonight's artist has just tipped into his sixtieth birthday - which is so many ways is just ridiculous. A chameleon of music - an icon and inspiration - starting off with massive success in the very early 80s, his musical journey has been far and wide, but always with his own unique style. 'Shadows and Reflections' is Marc Almond's new album; and he's here tonight to celebrate it and much more with full orchestra in tow.

I made a conscious decision recently to never listen to music through a pair of headphones ever again, reason being, having spent my formative years consuming live music in some of the best musical venues in the country, coupled with very acute hearing and constantly, breaking, losing or having my headphones stolen by thin air, it is a brave decision, but it was one I was ready to live with, tonight was the point of no return, It was a brisk night on the 16th of October 2017, I had the pleasure of close friend to accompany me to see Michael Kiwanuka at The Symphony Hall Birmingham being supported by Bedouine, a very charming, charismatic an very funny soulful and folky songstress.

Way back in 1973 two chaps from South London formed a band that saw them christened the ‘The New Lennon and McCartney’. Three decades later they are still performing, now with a massive back catalogue of hits and they're on an extensive run of UK dates starting at the delectable Symphony Hall in Birmingham. So welcome to the 'new Paul and John' - Chris Difford and Glenn Tilbrook in full band mode as Squeeze.

At a seated Birmingham Town Hall, with hardly half of the seats filled, a man with long long dreadlocks took to the stage to introduce the evening. I’ve seen Ani Difranco over 15 times now, and this wasn’t a face I recognized, but in recent years I’ve seen her less and less, so perhaps this is the new norm.

Back in the mid-eighties, the charts were filled with songs from the so called Hit Factory, masterminded by Stock, Aitken and Waterman. They sounded much the same but were very successful and from it spawned two notable stars. The first was a soap actress, who went on to become a global star, and the other, a young white man with the most incredible soul voice, had a similar destiny laid out before him. However, that young man had other ideas, and at his height of fame walked away. That young man was Rick Astley

Tonight's band were at their people in the early mid 70s. What seems a million miles away, these guys brought artmusic to the fore, mixing genres and creative inspirations and giving the world a raft of iconic hits. 40 odd years on, in the luxurious Symphony Hall, we’re here to take a peek into 10cc's hugely creative musical journey…

And so to the Symphony Hall for some symphonic prog rock by the legends of the genre. The foundations of tonight's performance started out half a century ago. Quite literally. When two blokes met in a bar in Soho. And went on one hell of a journey - musically and as a band. The current version of said band is somewhat different - but tonight, for the first time in 25 years, three members of the classic line-up (including one of the original founders) are here to perform for your delectation. Welcome, Jon Anderson, Trevor Rabin and Rick Wakeman - aka ARW - with an Evening of YES music.

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